XxxHOLiC Rei
''×××HOLiC Rei ''(×××HOLiC ◆ 戻 < レイ > , "xxxHolic Return") serialization was first announced during the CLAMP Fest in Nagoya, on December 2, 2012. It will resume its publication on the'' Young Magazine.'' It's the 3rd manga series of xxxHolic, following xxxHolic Rou. The first episode was released on March 4, 2013. Currently, three volumes have been released in Japan by the publisher Kodansha. Summary In xxxHOLiC Rei, Kimihiro Watanuki continues his relationship with the Space-Time Witch, Yuko. In her mysterious shop where wishes are granted--for a price--will he discover even more secrets? And are things around him really what they seem around him. Plot At the beginning of Rei it shows that Watanuki is still (as in xxxHolic) Yuko's assistant, which is the major twist as Yuko had died at xxxHolic's finale. He's also still going to the institute, being friends with both Doumeki and Himawari. Although Maru and Moro make their appearance, but the Black Mokoma is nowhere to be seen. Kohane has not appeared either. It's a recurring theme in the manga that Watanuki needs to make a choice, but later on it's hinted that he already has chosen. Also, each time Watanuki seems to remember something important regarding this choice, he passes out or is interrupted by something, like the phone ringing. The first customers that come to the shop in Rei, are two women each of them carrying a doll that represent their other "friend". Although they do not come for their wishes, rather they come for necessity (which is another recurring theme in Rei). One of them "stole" the other's boyfriend and for this, she feels that she must suffer, using the doll to hurt her. Each time they come a greater damage is shown to these dolls, which shows that they are hurting each other, possibly resulting in each other's death. He and Doumeki are later on, sent to investigate an event in a room in Watanuki's apartment building (which now it's revealed to be the same as Kobato's). They wait, watching a show recommended by Himawari but once it ends, Watanuki hears a voice. Watanuki hears the voice frequently since then and each time he answers the voice. Walking outside of school, he meets with the voice again only that this time it has a wish. A wish for him to "come back", but he doesn't understand the meaning of it. The spirit chases him down to Yuko's shop where she destroys it. During the summer, Yosuzume goes to the shop with a wish. To grant it, Watanuki and Doumeki are sent into the forest to protect Yamainu (a spirit that protects the mountains). They give him a lunch box as an offering. After finishing their task, Watanuki and Doumeki return to the shop and talk to Yuko, as she explains that the past cannot be returned to, as well as explaining them that they are married. Yuko gives them the choice between two items that they had given her: Yosuzume's will guide them to a place they want to go once, but Yamainu's will guide them to a place they want to return to once. As she waits for their decision, Watanuki seems unable to choose. Watanuki and Doumeki come across and old lady wanting to get rid of three hundred yen coins, as she comes into the temple and tosses them into the offering box. Watanuki finds out that these were used as a lucky charm, but nevertheless warns Himawari from doing so. They meet the old lady again, who explained them her situation as being too uneasy about it when an injured man forced her to exchange them. Watanuki then realizes that it isn't a lucky spell but a curse, and that the curse cannot be broken once someone has involved in it. Then Doumeki asks him how he can know so much, and seemingly losing consciousness he says that he saw too many things with Yuko. He then asks what did he do after those things "happened", and he replies that "he chose". Afterwards his cellphone rings, he answers but the caller hangs up. Once he's with Yuko, she explains the curse to him and Watanuki realizes that he said the same thing that she said, to Doumeki. He wonders if he's doing something wrong, but Yuko replies that he's not doing something right or wrong. As she tries to explain this to him, he loses consciousness and falls into Yuko's arms, who tells him he "should already know what will return and what will not." Volumes 3 xxxHOLIC Rei #3 Augest 20, 2014 978-4-06-377047-6 Category:Manga Category:Content Category:Article stubs